Timely conference will consider defamation law in the Internet age

The conference poster. Text in the story duplicates the poster textIt has been said that almost every concept and rule in the field of defamation law must be reconsidered in light of the Internet. A conference titled “Defamation Law and the Internet: Where Do We Go From Here?” presented by the Law Commission of Ontario (LCO) on May 3, will consider defamation law and how it should be reformed considering the rapid and far-reaching developments in law, technology and social values.

The conference will be held at the Law Society of Ontario, Donald Lamont Centre, and will feature internationally renowned scholars and practitioners. The full program for the Defamation Law and the Internet:Where Do We Go From Here? conference is available at www.lco-cdo.org.

Register before April 6, to take advantage of special early-bird pricing. The deadline to register is April 26.

Topics discussed will include defamation, online speech and reputation, the relationship between freedom of expression and privacy, whether or how internet intermediaries (such as Facebook or Google) should be responsible for online defamation, internet “content moderation”, dispute resolution, and access to justice.

The LCO is an independent organization that researches issues and recommends law reform measures to make the law accessible to all members of Ontario’s communities. Its offices are situated in the Osgoode Hall Law School Ignat Kaneff Building. The conference is part of the LCO’s Defamation Law in the Internet Age project.